Sacking and assorting attachment for potato-harvesters.



G. A. AKERS.

SAGKING AND ASSORTING ATTACHMENT FGR POTATO'HARVESTBRS. APPLICATIONFILED JULY 2, 1909.

998,445. Patented July 18, 1911.

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X254 My G. A. AKERS. SACKING AND ASSOETING ATTACHMENT FOR POTATOHARVBSTERS.

APPLIUATION FILED QIULY 2,1909. 998,445, Patented July 18, 1911.

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2% mm zz /w G. A. AKBRS.

SACKING AND ASSORTING ATTACHMENT FDR POTATO HARVESTERS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2,1909.

998,445. Patented July 18, 1911.

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31102 "for.

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UNITED STATES {PATENT OFFICE."

GUS A. .AKERfi, OF COVENTRY, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO CHARLESH.

SMITH, O1? COVENTRY, COLORADO.

SAOKING AND ASSORTING ATTACHMENT FOli. POTATO-HARVESTERS.

Specification of Litters Patent.

Patented July 18, 1911.

Application filed July 2, 1909. Serial No. 505,622.

I zen of the United States, residing at Cov- .be enga ed with andmounted entry, in the county of Colorado, have Invented new and usefulIm rovements in Seeking and Asserting Attaciiments forPotato-Harvesters,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in sacking and assortingattachments for use in connection with potato digging machines to causethe potatoes dug by the machines to be elevated therefrom, assorted asto size and deposited in sacks or he. s, the object of the inventionbeing to provi e an attachment of this kind which may be readily appliedto and used in connection with a potato digging machine such as are nowin common use.

The invention consists in the construction, combination 'and arrangementof devices hereinafter described and claimed. 7

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is an elevation of a potatoassorting and sackin attachment constructed in accordance with t isinvention showing the same connected to the rear truck of a potato diging machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitud lna sectional view of thesame. Fig. 3 1s a plan of the same.

In accordance with this invention a platform is provided which is hereshown as comprising a frame 1 and floor boards 2.' The frame compriseslon 'tudinal side bars 3 anda rear cross bar 4 w ich connects themtogether, each of the said sectionally of inverted T-shape so that saidbars vare provided each with a vertical web 5and a horizontal base web6. The said side .bars 3 are provided with up-turned forwardly inclinedportions 7 near their front ends and their front ends 8 are provided ontheir under side with bearings 9 adapted to on the s indles a o the axleshaft b of the potato digging machine. The floor boards are disposedtransversely to the frame 1, lie on ase flanges 6 of the bars of'saidframe and boar anain'st the vertical webs '5 of said bars.

Near t e rear corners of the platform frame are bearings 10 for theupper ends of forks 11 which carr caster wheels 12 which run on thegroun in rear of the machine and hence enable the platform to betrailedbeof Montrose and State go sack an hence the small bars being cross bindthe machine. All elevator frame 13 which is inclined comprises sides 14and a cover 15 which conriects the said sides to.- gether and extendsfrom a point near their ower ends to a point near their upper ends. Aair of shafts 16, 17 are respectively journal'd in bearin s near thelower and up or ends of the said sides 14 and are provi ed with s rocketwheels 18 on which o erates an en less elevating carrier 19 whicicomprises cross bars 20 the ends of which are bent at right angles toform hooks 21, the hooks of each cross bar pivotally en aging the nextadjacent cross bar. The sai cross bars are spaced apart an appropriatedistance according to the lengt 1 of the hooks with which they areformed and according to the size of the potatoes tobe sacked, the

spaces between thegcross bars of the elevator carrier coriresp'ondingwith the size. of the smaller atoes which it is not. desired to throughthe spaces between the said bars of the elevator carrier, while thelarger pota toes remain on the upper lead of. the carrier and areconveyed thereby to the upper end of the elevator frame.

The shaft 16-is provided near one end with sprocket wheels 23-24. Theshaft 17 has at the corresponding end a sprocket wheel 25. An endlesssprocket chain 26 con nects the sprocket wheels 225 to transmit powerfrom the lower shaft 16 to the upper shaft 17 and a tightener 27 is pro-V] ed for the said sprocket chain 26 as shown in Fig. 1. The elevatorframe is supported in inclined position by. guide rods 28 which areattached at their rear ends to the said frame at a point near the rearupper potatoes drop end of the latter and have their front ends attachedto the arch bar I) of the machine as at 29.

Any well known additional means may be employed for supporting thecarrier frame 13 upon the platform.

At the rear upper end of the elevator frame is a discha'r e casing 30which is formed with a pair 0 downwardly and rearwardly extendingdischar spouts 31 which diverge and between whic is a valve or divider32 which is pivotally mounted as at 33 at the angle between the saidspouts and is here shown as provided at the u per end of its pivotalaxis with a lever 34 w ereby it may be turned in the required directionto cut off either of the other. l

The plow, scoop or digger c of the digging machine causes the otatoes tobe caught and carried u ward y and rearwardly by the inclined endlesscarrier d of the machine which carrier'is of the sameconstruction as thecarrier 19 of the elevator. e and f are respectively the lower and up orshafts of said carrier d, the sprocket wlieels on said shafts whichengage and operate said cat'- rier being shown at g. The shaft f isprovided with a spur gear-h and asprocket wheel a. to the sprocket wheel23 of the lower shaft 16 of the elevator by an endless sprocket chain35. A spur geank on the shaft of the potato digging machine engages thegear h and henceit willbe understood that when the machine is'inoperation both carriers (Z and 19 are actuated and their upper leadscaused to move upwardly and rearwardly. It will be observed uponreference to the drawings that the lower portion of the elevator carrieris disposed below the upper portion of the carrier d of the di ggmgmachine so that the potatoes'are discharged frp'm the carrier of thedigging inaspouts and open the ('hi'rpe onto the elevator carrier. Ashereinthe smaller potatoes drop befbre Stated, through the spacesbetween the bars of the elevatpr carrier onto the platform or mayejece'ived in boxes or other receptacles thereon while the largerpotatoes'are discharged from the rear of theelevator carrier to thedischarge casing or' trunk 30 and pass by gravity therefrom througheither one of the discharge spouts 31; to a sack attached to said s outaccording to the position of the divider or valve, the operatorsstationed on the platform operating the valve manually as required tocause potatoes to be delivered to one sack or bag while another sack orbag is being attached to or removed from the other spout. A sack Saidsprocket wheel is connected holder is, indicated at 36 on the platform.The traction wheels of the potato digging machine are shown at m.

What is claimed is 1. In a. sacking and assorting attachment forpotato'harvesters, a wheeled platform, carrier-bolt having its forwardend disposed forwardly and below the plane of the platform and inclinedupwardly therefrom, a second upwardly inclined carrier having itsforward end disposed immediately beneath the rear of the first carrier,a frame supporting the first carrier, a shovel carried by the frame andlocated in advance of the said first carrienmeansfor simultaneouslydriving the carriers, a sacking attachment located rearwardly of thesecond named carrier, and a frame forming apart of the sacking at-.tachment and supporting the said second named carrier.

2. A sacking and assorting attachment for potato harvesters comprising aportable horizontally disposed latform, a carrier located in advance oft e platform and extending forwardly and downwardly at an angle theretoso that its lower end is disposed below the plane of the platform, ashovel located in advance of the carrier, a supporting frame for thecarrier, a second carrier extending upwardly and rearwardly from theplatform and having its forward end disposed beneath the rear end of thefirst named carrier, means for simultaneously driving the carriers, aframe supporting the second carrier and provided with an open bottomportion which is disposed immediately above the platform, and a sackingatiachment supported by the second named rame.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GUS A. AKERS. Witnesses:

dorm M. PHILLIPS,

James P. GALLOWAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. O."

